Steam-generator



C. H. LEWIS.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, I920.

1,382,2QQ EPatentedJuneZL 11.921.

. 6 l L9nuentar l3 Char/es H Lewis witarn e l UNIT Sllihlhhld PATENT STEAIM- GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2t, 1921.

Application filed June 28, 1920. Serial No. 392,356.

To all 10 ham it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of ()nondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Generators, of which the following is I a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in steam boilers, and has for its object to provide a novel and simple boiler construction, whereby steam at high tension may be genrated readily and quickly by the consumption of a minimum of fuel. it further ob: ject is to provide a boiler of the class which is entirely inclosed by a heat retaining casing, the latter being equipped with means for retarding the flow of the products of combustion until practically all of the heat units are absorbed by the water in the boiler. A further object is to provide novel means which are positioned between the boiler and the heating elements for preheating portions of the water, and for conducting the steam generated by the preheater'upwardly inside the boiler, thereby coiiperating with the products of combustion'which surround the boiler, for heating and boiling the water which partially fills the boiler. And a fun ther object is to generally improve and simplify the construction, arrangement and operation of steam generators of the class.

ll attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and: as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 is acentral vertical section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a similar section, taken on line 3- 3 oi Fig. 1. And Fig. 4 is a broken front elevation ot' the complete device.

, in the drawing, 2 represents an open annular base, havinga number of legs 2. 3 represents a cylindrical casing which is mounted upon the base for providing an open top and bottom hollow compartment in the nature of a fire-box 4. The casing 3 has an opening 3" at one side, for the insertion .and adjustment of a gas or vapor burner 5,

by which the boiler is fired The burner 5 is preferably circular, and its top-side is provided with the usual ring of jetdourners 5, common to heaters of the class. The fuel for the burner may be either natural or artificjal illuminating gas, which may be supplied by a pipe 6, the latter discharging the fluid fuel into an elongated tubular mixing chamber 6, whose free end is supported by a plate 6 carried by the casing 3, while the opposite end of said chamber extends to and communicates with the hollow burner 5. Qwing to the fact that commercial gas in d fferent parts of the country is supplied at widely varying pressures, it is necessary to provide convenient means for adjusting the burners 5 to suit the difierent pressures. For this purpose, it provide a slotted opening 6 in the plate 6*,which allows the burner 5 tobe raised and lowered at will.

Upon the casing 3 is mounted an annular part the latter being provided with a dependingflange Y, which is received in the top-end of the casing 3, and immediately above the portion 7 is a horizontal flange 7 which encircles a cylindrical portion 7*. 8 represents an upright cylindrical casing or shell, the lower end of which rests upon the flange 7 while the portion 7 telescopes said lower end. The casing 8 is preferably lined with asbestos 8, for insulating the casing agalnst the heat produced by the burner 5. The top-end of-thc casing 8 is preferably closed by a perforated cap 8 the said perforation being provided for the escape of the waste and cooled products of combustion, after they have spent their energy for making steam. 9 designates the boiler proper, which consists of an elongated hollow cylindrical part, whose top-encl is sealed by a cap 9, and whose bottom portion 9 is shown integral. The boiler 9 is preferably disposed concentrically in the casing 8, and is of such diameter as to provide a continuous relatively narrow but ample air chamber or space 10 between the casing 8 and the boiler. The top of the boiler 9 approaches closely to the cap 8", and is loosely and concentrically disposed in a baflle ring 10, which is supported by the casing 8, the opening in said. ring being slightly larger than the boiler, for

cular bafiies which are disposed in staggered relation at different levels in the temperature.

height of the boiler 9. These broken baflies 1O are supported by the shell 8, and their inner circumferences are also slightly spaced from the outer surface of the boiler, to the same extent and for the same purpose asthe ring 10'.

.An important and novel feature of the present invention consists of independent means for preheating portions of the water and for generating steam, which will now be described: 11 represents-an annular drum or v coil, preferably about the diameter of the boiler 9, which is disposed horizontally and in line axially with the boiler. The druin 11 is positioned, about midway between the burner 5 and the bottom-end of the boiler,

and is also inclosed by the casing 8. The

drum 11 is tapped at its opposite sides by supply and discharge pipes 11 and 11, by-

means of which the water contained in the drum, as well as in the boiler 9 may be admitted to or drawn oil. from said parts. The drum 11 and the boiler, 9 are connected for the passage of the water by an unrestricted pipe or conduit 11*,which may be applied in provide simple and convenient means for re- X -moving sediment from. the drum. By this provision, as soon as the water is all evaporated, the plug 11 melts and opens the port 11, which will immediately reduce the pressure in the boiler and drum and also prevent an excessive pressure in these parts, in case cold water is turned on before the parts become cooled. The drum 11 is provided with a depending flange 11, of the same diameter as the corresponding portion 7 c of the support 7 upon which the drum, as well as the boiler and related parts rest in such manner that the entire weight of the parts named is sustained by the ring 7 By this peculiar internal construction and arrangement of the support 7 which has no lateral outlets, and the bottom side of the drum 11, practically all of the heat produced by the burner 5 (which is also disposed in the same axial line as the drum and boiler) is temporarily confined withinsaid hollow compartment, which will be referred to as the "combustion chamber. By this novel provision, the products of combustion as they rise from the burner, first strike against the bottom of the drum 11, and from thence are directed toward and through the central opening or flue 11 of the drum;

from which they again rise and fairly strike against the bottom of the boiler 9. The boiler at this point is provided with an inverted cup-like cavity 9, which tends to retard the flow of the products of combustion, and from which the said products pass into the chamber 10, which surrounds the boiler.

Auxiliary to the preheating drum 11, I provide another preheater, which consists of a hollow cross or equivalent part 12, having a plurality of similar arms 12, which are positioned in horizontal plane between the drum 11 and the burner 5. The cross 12 is connected, for receiving its supply of water and for the discharge of steam generated therein, to a vertically disposed pipe or nozzle 13,- which is disposed centrally in the boiler 9, the normally open upper end of said pipe preferably extending to within a short distance of the cap .9, where it discharges the steam into the top portion of the boiler. The cross 12 receives its supply of water from the drum 11, through a branch-pipe 11*, which intersects the pipe 13 above the drum. When the boiler and related parts are filled with water to the proper extent, the water seeks a common level in both the boiler and the pipe 13, as best seen in Fig. 1. The preheater 12 being disposed in the combustion chamber and the products of combustion attend to the usual'heating of the bottom and sides of the boiler. ment, steam at high tension may be readily and quickly produced, and the production may be maintained with little variation as long as'the burner is lighted. ()wing to the peculiar disposition and arrangement of the drum 11, which also contains a relativel small quantity of water, the said drum rea ily and quickly absorbs the heat from the burner and generates steam at a lower tension, which is carr'iedinto the boiler by the pipes 11 and 13.

A water gage 14 of the usual type is employed for indicating the level of the water in the boiler and preheaters. The said gage is supported by a steam-arm 14' and a water arm 14, both of which are'inserted through corresponding openings in the shell 8 and the boiler 9, as shown in Fig. 1. The dry By this construction and arran esteam is drawn from the top portion of the boiler 9 by means of a pipe 15, the inner end of which extends approximately to the cennesaeoe ter of the boiler, and is provided with a number of relatively fine perforations 15, which admit the steam, strainer-like, into said pipe. By providing a plurality of the perforations 15', and staggering them, tends to prevent the escaping high-tension steam from lifting and carrying away from the boiler any of the water.

16 represents a safety-valve, which is mounted on a pipe 16, the latter piercing both the boiler 9 and the casing 8, as shown in Fig, l. 17 represents the usual pressure gage carried by steam boilers, which also receives the pressure near the top of the boiler, and a small tube 1'?!" carries the pressure downwardly to a well-known fuel-feed regulator 18, for automatically controlling the burner 5.

My steam generator is extremely simple in construction and operation, and is capable of evaporating a large amount of water readily and quickly by the consumption of comparatively small amount of fuel, My preheating means are novel and practicable, and by disposing them in the novel combustion chamber, and also by extending the pipe 13 upwardly inside of the boiler 9, as herein shown and described, tends to quicken the generation, as well as to increase the tension of the steam.

thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

.ln a steam generator, a boiler, a drum disposed beneath and supplying water to the boiler, a steam-pipe disposed centrally in the boiler and connected with said drum, the lower end ot said pipe extending below said drum and supporting a preheating member whi receives water from said drum and discharges steam through said pipe into the top portion of the boiler, and an adjustable burner disposed beneath said member.

2, The combination with a boiler and a casing loosely inclosing the boiler, or a plurality of battles disposed between the boiler and the casing and spaced from the boiler, a drum disposed below the boiler and supplying water to the boiler, a steam-pipe passing through said drum and extending upwardly in said boiler, a hollow member supported by the lowerend of said pipe and receivingwater from said drum, said drum and said member adapted to generate steam which is discharged through said pipe above the level of the water in the boiler, and a burner for heating all of said steam generating parts.

3. A steam generator including an upright boiler, a casing surrounding said boiler in a manner to provide for the passage of the products of combustion between said parts, bafies arranged in staggered relation between the boiler and the casing, the topmost bafile arranged to hold the boiler truly concentric relatively to the casing, an annular drum disposed below and supplying water to the boiler, a steam-pipe passing through the drum and partially through the boiler, an auxiliary heater supported by the lower end of the steam-pipe and receiving water from the drum, and a fluid burner disposed below the preheater.

4. The combination with a boiler, a casingloosely surrounding and inclosing the boiler, and a plurality of battles arranged in staggered relation between the boiler and the casing, of an annular drum disposed below the boiler adapted to supply the boiler with water, a steam-pipe disposed concentrically in the boiler, its lower end extending downwardly through the central opening in said drum, a hollow member supported by the lower end of said pipe, said member p0- sitioned below the drum and receiving water from the drum by gravity, and a burner disposed below said member.

5. ln a steam generator, a hollow casing, a boiler loosely disposed in said casing, a plurality oi battles disposed between said boiler and said casing, a burner disposed below the boiler, a water heater disposed above the burner, a team-pipe tapping said water heater and extending upwardly into the boiler, an annular drum disposed concentric to said pipe adapted to supply water to the boiler and to said heater and to deliver steam to the boiler at a number of different points,

and means for directing all of the products of combustion through the opening in said drum.

6. A steam generator includlng an upright boiler having a water-receiving opening in its bottom, an annular drum disposed below the boiler and connected with said opening, a steam-pipe inserted upwardly in said boiler, the lower end of said pipe passing loosely through the center or said drum, a branch-pipe connecting said drum with said pipe, a hollow cross supported by said pipe and supplied with water by said drum gravity, a burner disposed below said cross, and means for adjusting said burner relatively to said cross.

7. In a steam generator, a boiler, a, casing loosely inclosing said boiler, an annular drum disposed beneath and supplying watcr to the boiler, a gas-burner disposed below saiddrum, a support for the boiler sur= rounding said burner and cotiperating with the drum for preventing the escape or" the products of combustion except through the central opening in said drum, and a steampipe disposed centrally in the boiler, its lower end extending below the drum and comprising a heating member receiving water from the drum and generating steam which is carried by said pipe into the top portion of the boiler, said pipe being connected with said drum for the passage or water and steam in opposite directions.

8. In a steam generator, the combination pipe for conducting water from said drum to said boiler, .a steam-pipe extending upwardly in the boiler in the line of its axis and communicating with said drum, and a heating member mounted on the lower end of said steam-pipe and between the burner and said drum.

9. A steam generator including a boiler, a burner disposed beneath the boiler, a steampipe disposed centrally in said boiler, and

extending downwardly toward said burner, an annular drum disposed between the burner and the boiler concentric to said pipe and receiving the direct heat from said burner, said drum connected to said boiler for the circulation of water and steam and adapted to discharge steam into the" boiler through said pipe, said drum having a combined cleanout and afety opening in its bottom, and a plug for sealing said opening, said plug arranged to withstand the temperature of the drum while thelatter contains water, said plugadapted .to bereadily fused following the evaporation of the water for venting the drum and preventing the bursting of the drum and boiler.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' CHARLES H. LEWIS. 

